Jeffrey Rodewald goes up in a crowd for a bucket as Alamo Heights beats Edison 50-39 in Region IV 4A finals at Littleton Gym on March 3, 2012 Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News

Jeffrey Rodewald goes up in a crowd for a bucket as Alamo Heights beats Edison 50-39 in Region IV 4A finals at Littleton Gym on March 3, 2012 Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News

Photo: TOM REEL, Express-News

Image 3 of 13

Marco Guerrero finds tough going in the lane in the second half as Wes Miller moves in to grab the ball as Alamo Heights beats Edison 50-39 in Region IV 4A finals at Littleton Gym on March 3, 2012 Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News

Marco Guerrero finds tough going in the lane in the second half as Wes Miller moves in to grab the ball as Alamo Heights beats Edison 50-39 in Region IV 4A finals at Littleton Gym on March 3, 2012 Tom Reel/

The Mules' Jeffrey Rodewald flings his arm upward after being stripped of the ball in the lane as Alamo Heights beats Edison 50-39 in Region IV 4A finals at Littleton Gym on March 3, 2012 Tom Reel/ San Antonio Express-News

The Mules' Jeffrey Rodewald flings his arm upward after being stripped of the ball in the lane as Alamo Heights beats Edison 50-39 in Region IV 4A finals at Littleton Gym on March 3, 2012 Tom Reel/ San Antonio

The chant lasted for about five seconds before Brewer silenced the students as soon as he heard them.

Heights students who were involved in the chanting will not be allowed to attend the Mules' Class 4A state semifinal game against Dallas Kimball tonight in Austin.

The story about the complaint filed by SAISD has since become national news, sparking a debate over whether the chant could be considered offensive.

SAISD and Alamo Heights ISD released statements Wednesday that included pleas to move on from the controversy.

“Some question why a chant of ‘USA' is wrong. It is not wrong in the appropriate context,” SAISD's statement said. “... If this chant was commonplace — chanted regularly at games with other high schools — it would not be an issue. In this case, it was targeted at a school that is predominantly Hispanic.”

Most Popular

A letter from AHISD superintendent Kevin Brown also addressed the incident.

“We live in the best country in the world, and cheering for our country should be celebrated,” Brown said in the statement. “However, cheering for our country should be done for patriotic reasons, not to offend other Americans.”

The story has taken off on talk radio and social media. Many Alamo Heights supporters said online that the “USA, USA” chant was after Edison fans chanted “Alamo Whites” during the game.

“Regardless of what else was said, our kids made a mistake with a chant after the game,” Brown said Tuesday. “We've dealt with it, and we're going to move on.”